Luna turned over to Vance once again. She wanted to say something profound. She just had to do something to soothe that worry that coursed through his eyes. She opened up her mouth, and then that awful smell from the machine shot through her senses again. Overcome with a smell like a dozen sweaty stallion tailholes, she keeled over.

She vomited all over Vance's shoulder. She then buckled. She panted as she heard it dripping down his side. The stallion's face scrunched like a fish, and he wiggled in place a little.

"We are sorry," she said as she leaned back. The stallion looked back at her blankly, and then he magically reached over to his left pocket to pick up a hankerchef.

Can't you get that off magically... Oh, no, sorry! You're not powerful enough to do that! Luna opened her mouth and muttered a little spell. A minty sensation poured up her throat and across her teeth. Much better! She then nudged forwards. Vance froze. His skin seemed to shrivel up a little with that odd combination of fear at Luna's position and power along with admiration for her beauty.

Luna's magical aura sparkled all over the stallion's side. "Ahhhhh... ahh..." he muttered. He then saw a little blue flash. In a split-second, he ran his eyes down and couldn't see even one dirty spot. "T-thanks your majesty."

Luna smiled. That gawking... Oh, you're such a little silly thing. You're so much like Strawberry. Her expression immediately flipped. Oh, Strawberry! What was it? I'll only have twenty-five years of you? Or thirty? Oh, goodness... It doesn't matter! Whatever the number is-- it'll be at least a thousand years too short! No... It'll be an eternity too short! She tapped her hooves upon the ground in frustration. "Buck it!"

"Your highness, please," Vance said. He leaned over and went inches away from conforting her with her hooves, but he tensed a the last moment. She was a Princess of Equestria, after all. "Please. It's not just that the machine is limited."

"The 'most likely' future," she muttered. Strawberry, I can't... I can't bear it. I can't have you and then lose you.

"No, look at me," Vance said. Luna just plopped her eyes straight down at the floor. "Look, please." She bopped her head left and right but kept drooping. "My Princess..."

The stallion touched her hoof upon her chin and then raised her head up. She locked eyes with him. She smiled a little at his concern. Model subject... I should make sure you get a raise... or at least a marefriend.

"So, you've seen a piece of what you think is your destiny. You saw a part of your destination. But what of it? Life isn't all about where you end up. Life isn't all about when you see the a finish line and then the moment you cross it. There's so much in between. It's the path, the journey, the trip-- all of that is what means the most to us," he said. Some of the words bounced right of her ears, but every other one stuck at least a little bit. She sighed.

"So, what," she retorted. She picked herself off and then headed out towards the stairs. "We suppose that there's lots and lots of poetic garbage out there..." She twisted about her right hoof in the air and then went into the full royal Canterlot voice. "Thou must understand, for it shall be walking the passageway that defines oneself-- not knowing said passageway..." She stared at the invisible skull in her hoof as well as the invisible stage and curtains.

"Your highness," Vance objected once again.

"Please, save it," Luna replied. She concentrated. Her horn glowed, and then the false wall reappeared. She made a little twist of her hooves, and then the side doors up ahead opened as well. Well, I... I just need to think things over a little more...

Vance stayed. He rested up against the sphere and shivered a little bit. Luna glanced back, and she slowed her walk. He's like... like a little abandoned puppy. Isn't he? "Vance?" she asked. The stallion gave a hopeful glance. "Thanks again."

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"The Silence," Luna read aloud. Hmm, even the spell's name sounds evil. She looked out at the study door. Of course, less than a dozen ponies even know the room exists. She went to read more, but she still froze in place.

Nopony other than Celestia and maybe Twilight could even see the hidden door, much less try to open it. Luna knew that Celestia was miles and miles above setting up the sun. Still, Luna couldn't help but feel paranoid. Her's eyes traced around the mounds of ancient bookshelves and even older books. She cocked her head, and then she concentrated.

A thick red bookshelf magically moved a few inches over. It plummeted back down-- wads of dust flying everywhere. She tapped a hoof, and then a thick smear of a blue and black magical arua dripped down the bookcase's sides.

"Now then," she said, and she traced a hoof along the well-worn page. The ink had soaked so thick and pressed down so hard that she could almost read it with her eyes closed. "The Silence is a theoretical preparation to give a unicorn a magical ascent into alicorn powers and abilities. Although it has never been successfully tried, prior reports that the spell has never really existed are totally without merit. Identities of those responsible have been expunged outright or otherwise lost to history-- presumably out of embarrassment as well as the necessary censorship."

Nice history lesson... but how do you do it? How does it work? She flipped ahead. She then went on, "The ceremony requires creating the necessary pentagram upon the wide, flat, and hard surface. The list of ingredients is as such..." She noted that she could more or less easily obtain every last element and skipped ahead. "The moonlight and starlight must bathe the unicorn at and exact ninety degree angle as specified in Figure A. The unicorn is placed into restraints for his safety so that he does not harm himself or others from the intense pain."

Figure A didn't look very happy. Although he was going to become an alicorn pretty soon, the illustrated unicorn had a look of pure despair across his face as if he'd leap off the page for safety at any moment. Luna then continued, "Upon cursing the surgical blades as specified in Figure B, the conjurer then entirety removes the wings of the pegasus shown in Figure C. The blades then cut along the unicorn's sides. The conjurer then ensures proper placement and mounting of said wings as shown in Figure D."

She gave a quick glance at Figures C and D. She immediately wished that she hadn't. Her voice breaking out, she skipped a little ahead and finished, "The conjurer removes the essence from the pegasus. He then envelops it around the unicorn using the spell in Sidebar B. At this important moment, the conjurer has just a short amount of time to collect the blood of a present alicorn to apply across the unicorn's horn. Only fresh blood-- not blood previously taken and stored-- can be used."

Luna teared up a little, but she forced herself to end the chapter. "The alicorn, unlike the pegasus, may survive this procedure. However, a very large amount of blood-- close to the medically safe maximum-- is needed as specified in Figure G. The conjurer then applies the ingredient mix-- magically charged as stated before-- along the unicorn's face. Be advised that at this moment the magical focus of the pain is expected to switch from the unicorn to the conjurer before then being shared equally. Should the conjurer take appropriate measures, he should be consious enough to spray the explosive powder and then announce the final incarnation. See Sidebar C for details."

The book then dropped out of her hoof. Luna collapsed onto the couch behind her. She held her hooves to her eyes. 'Intense pain'? A 'very large amount of blood'? 'Explosive powder'? She got up. She then put her hooves against her side. She pictured the precious cargo inside.

Luna walked over to the fireplace. Her eyes danced across the roaring flames. She then leaned her head over against the side, and she cried softly.

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Luna's hind hooves kicked against the golden spire with a soft clang. She nudged herself a little backwards. She curled her head back to the right, and then she gazed again out at the Canterlot skyline. I always loved it... I always love it when it's this time. Not quite night, yet not quite day. Nopony is up, really, but nopony is asleep either.

Her eyes bounced about the beautiful hanging gardens along those long marble aqueducts. She then gazed at a large rosebush just atop one of the royal bakeries. Everything around us really is so pretty. You just need to stop, and then you'll see it again and again. She stood up, and then she sailed over.

Luna breathed in a good dose of that soft, supple scent. So nice... She leaned down. One of the roses off the side wilted a little. She focused her eyes. So fragile...

Luna beat her wings hard. One horrible, coarse feeling after another shot through her. She then moved straight up into the air. "And... what..." she moaned. She turned around and then eyed yet another batch of rosebushes. "What does it matter!"

She crashed right into the rosebush. She thrust out her hooves and then thrashed the flowers about. Tears poured out. She then buried her face in her hooves. She held them down after a minute, and she stared at the thorny spot where the roses had been. She took a deep breath, and then she blew the petals all away.

"There," she announced, "It's all abandoned, all faded away, and all..." Her voice caved into just a whisper. "All dead..."

She went back to her favorite spot on the golden spire. No... Don't think this way! It's just one possible future! "It's not just 'possible'. It's a fact. Strawberry is mortal." But, so you can still... "And... Midnight is mortal too..." Hold on! You can find a way around this! "I can't..."

She bucked against the spire. A huge metal ring sounded, and half the side caved in. She shut her eyes tight so she wouldn't cry again. "I cannnnnn't! I can't deal with it! I won't be able to lose him, and to lose her... It will end me..." She smacked against her chest.

She then turned her gaze over to the horizon. Her eyes moved from rolling hill to deep valley to crystal clear river and then back to the spot where she stood. She sighed.

"Just take my heart, Strawberry!" Luna shouted. She sailed off into the distance. "Just take my heart! You know I won't have a need for it anymore!" Her tears dripped across her body as she gathered speed. I'll always love you, but if I can't have you... If I can't hold you... If I can't see you forever... Oh, goodness... Just take it. Take it. Keep it.

She coughed up as the tears went on. She dropped down. She barely could manage to fly. In just a minute, she narrowly missed smacking into a group of oaks. She slowed down. If I have to lose you... If I have to let you go, then you can take it now. I can't bear it any minute. Just take my heart. Take my heart now. Then, leave me now. Leave me when I'm still strong enough to say goodbye.

I can't bury my husband. I can't see you sick. I can't bear to know day after day, month after month, and year after year that you'll never be there for me again. If I have to lose you, then I'll lose you... The moment I want to lose you is with those big eyes of yours sticking out Sugarcube Corner window, looking up at me, as I fly away. She clutched a few branches, and then she curled up. She rubbed her face along the cold bark. Take my heart. It's yours. It always has been.

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Celestia cheerfully sailed through from cloud layer to cloud layer. Wow... I wonder what Lulu is going to say when she walks in the door. The surprise on her face! She giggled. She then moved down and then swooped over a hill. She rocketed past a curve, but she then twisted her wings about and reversed in a split-second.

"Lulu..." she said, and then she eyed a familar little blue spot in the distance, "What's wrong?" Celestia took a deep breath, and then she sailed over towards her sister.

(To Be Continued)